


Private Moment - Angel's POV

by girlwiththemaleficenttattoo



Series: Private Moments [1]
Category: Angel: the Series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)
Genre: F/M, Missing Scene, POV Angel (BtVS)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2020-12-17
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:13:41
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,728
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28141437
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/girlwiththemaleficenttattoo/pseuds/girlwiththemaleficenttattoo
Summary: Set between 06.04/05 of BtVS; 03.04/05 of AtSWhat happened the night Buffy and Angel finally saw each other after Buffy's (latest) resurrection?
Relationships: Angel/Buffy Summers
Series: Private Moments [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2061597
Comments: 1
Kudos: 10





	1. Chapter 1

Walking towards his car, he knew he wouldn’t share this night with the rest of Angel Investigations. With how little of his life he was able to keep to himself, he treasured the moments that could remain his, and his alone. And, he didn’t need her to tell him the tale she made up about being in Hell was what she told her friends, to protect them. He could never take that choice away from her. Whether she was with him or not, he knew in his soul it was his duty to protect her, however he could. 

Angel was glad they decided to meet at the park, on neutral ground, away from all the others. He needed to see Buffy, and know she was really okay…he wasn’t looking to be bombarded by Cordy when he got back to L.A., let alone immediately after seeing the woman he loved again.  
As he drove around the corner to his final destination, he saw what would have to be Buffy’s vehicle, and made the choice to continue to the other side of the park. It would be hard enough to say goodbye; he didn’t feel the need to make it any harder and watch her drive away without him.  
Finally walking to their spot, he sniffed at the air, thrilled to catch her scent, simply because he could tell, it’s really her. Buffy came back to this world.  
He caught sight of her, and quickened his pace, ready for her to turn so he could see her face.  
“Buffy,” he called to her, happy to be able to say her name again.  
She turned, and he searched her face quickly, looking for any sign that she wasn’t his Buffy. He was happily disappointed.  
“Yep, just little old 20th century me,” she responded, and he smiled at the thought of the last time she said those words to him, after the most interesting Halloween he’d ever had in all his years. He felt like he was gliding towards her, wanting nothing more at that moment to just hold her. He took her face in his hands, and leaned in to kiss her, feeling her deepen it quickly. He obliged her request, taking her cue while remaining in control. He released her so she could breathe once more, but couldn’t bear the thought of letting her go yet.  
“How did you come back?”  
He listened intently as she relayed what was likely a longer story into a short blurb; Willow brought her back from Hell. But it was that last sentence that caught his ear, and he intensified his gaze, reading hers. No…no, no, no…  
“Wish they’d left me there or something?” He heard the joke, but it did nothing but confirm his worry – Willow didn’t save her from Hell.  
Hoping to convey that she could tell him the truth, his hands stiffened against her face.  
“That’s not where you were, was it?” He felt his soul become heavy, knowing with every second that past, they’d ripped her from Heaven, not Hell.  
She mentioned something about Spike, but he was having a difficult time getting his thoughts to calm, feeling the anger at Willow’s callousness start to boil beneath his skin. Spike? Spike knows this?  
“You’re right about that, but I haven’t heard from him in years. I know you, Buffy. I’ve been around a long time, and you…” his voice almost broke, unable to think of anything except the pain she must be in, “you’re lying, aren’t you?”  
She saw her usually impenetrable levee break, and he did what he felt he was always meant to do – catch her. She fell into him, hands grasping at his shirt as the sobs started to take over. If I had a heart, he thought dismally, it would be shattered. Knowing there was nothing he could do by try to comfort her, he tightened his hold on her, working his fingers into her blonde locks, his mind flashing back to the day that never happened. He scolded himself as he felt her torso start to tremble.  
“Shh, it’s okay. Come here,” he whispered, gathering her in his arms. She needed to feel safe, relax if she could, and she certainly couldn’t accomplish that standing out in the open. He moved them further into the night, the darkness coming down around them like a shield. May the Powers that Be curse anything that tries to come for her tonight, Angel thought angrily, hoping they knew better after all they had put her through.  
He lowered himself to the ground, taking care not to jostle her in the process. Resting his back against a large tree trunk, he brought her as close to him as possible, alternately stroking her soft hair and planting small kisses to her crown, hoping to remind her that she was safe with him.  
He let Buffy cry until she couldn’t anymore, and felt her body release a clearly long-held tension. Looking down at her, he knew she had exhausted even her Slayer strength in that moment, moving to come closer to him still. He smiled, happy that he had made the right choice in seeing her like this, alone.  
Angel noticed her breathing slowed, drifting off. While it hadn’t been what he was expecting tonight, he could admit to himself that holding her like this was never a bad thing. He allowed her to sleep for some time, maybe an hour or so, before gently nudging her awake. She needed the sleep, but Buffy would give me well-deserved hell if I let her sleep the entire time.  
She apologized, confirming his thoughts. “Hey,” he said, lifting her chin so their gazes could meet, “I’ve missed sleeping with you.” He secretly hoped she would enjoy his little joke, what with her humor being one of the many, many things he adored about her. He felt his chest swell with pride when her face broke into a genuine smile; it felt good to give her that.  
“Tell me about Cordy and Wesley,” she requested, not moving away from him, to his joy. He ran his fingertips lightly along her arm as he told her about Cordy’s change of heart about the visions, and Wesley’s take-over of Angel Investigations (though he did a lot of glossing over why; she did not need Darla to be placed on her plate as well). He heard her small laughter as she told him about Lorne, and their trip to his dimension. He stroked her cheek softly as he shared how they’d rescued Fred, and her improving mental state the longer they worked alongside her.  
“Wow, and I thought how we ended up with Dawn was insane.”  
His smile broke free at her classic Buffy demeanor, but it faded when he started to note it was beginning to get lighter in the sky.  
“Time to go, huh?” Buffy asked, disappointment coating her words. Unable to bring himself to answer her out loud, he simply nodded; he didn’t want it to end any more than she did. But he knew before they parted, he needed to give her something to take back with her, to help her when the darkness returned to her dreams.  
“I don’t want to upset you, but I’m sorry that this happened to you, like this. I’m glad you’re back to walking the same dimension as I am, but I can’t imagine how much it must hurt you to be doing so.”  
Of course, he saw the tears start to pool in her soulful eyes, but he continued on, “but I know that if anyone will come back from that, it would be you. You’re strong Buffy, I know you’ll be okay.”  
The tilt of her lips into an almost smile thrilled him, positive now he had said the right thing.  
“Thank you, Angel. You have no idea what that means to me,” she stopped, taking a breath before uttering, “I love you so much.” He felt his soul both soar and clench, knowing that she still loved him so deeply, but there was nothing either of them could do about it.  
Angel responded, making sure that the honesty was evident in his words. “I will always love you, Buffy. For the rest of my life, however long that is.”  
She moved towards him, and he gave in to her, unable to deny her in this moment. His body betrayed him, deepening the kiss he wished more than anything could lead to more for them both.  
Taking back control, he broke their connection, and further released her by opening his arms. Reluctantly, he observed, she stood, and he smiled when her hand reached out for his. Not willing to deny them of this last physical contact, he placed his large hand in hers, and allowed her to pull him forward. Squeezing her hand tightly, he thought I hope you know no matter how hard it is to see you and have to say goodbye, I will never regret it. He couldn’t bear to look at her face to see if she understood his message, so he turned and began to walk in the direction of his car. His love for her got the better of him though, so he called out “Are you still my girl?”  
Her smiled as she whispered back, knowing he’d be able to hear her.  
“Always.”


	2. Private Moments - Buffy's POV

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Set between 06.04/05 of BtVS; 03.04/05 of AtS  
> What happened the night Buffy and Angel finally saw each other after Buffy's (latest) resurrection?

“I’d just rather keep it private,” Buffy told the rest of the table, willing something with Angel to be private, just once. No one argued, thankfully, so she retreated to back to her room, wanting to hold onto this memory just a bit longer…

She agreed to meet him halfway between Sunnydale and L.A., at this little park they found before, the last time they tried to meet in the middle of their current home bases. She drove a little fast to get there, both worried and excited about seeing him in person once again. Noting that her Slayer senses weren’t picking up his presence, maybe a little too fast, the small joke barely making her lips twitch, let alone smile. She wasn’t much into genuine smiling these days.   
She stood a little off the gravel path – it was technically closed at dusk, and it was well past that. Keeping alert, just in case something besides Angel showed its ugly face, Buffy wandered a moment, but didn’t have long to let her mind do the same. She felt him before she saw him.   
“Buffy,” Angel said simply, his voice caressing her name like no other man’s ever managed. She looked up, meeting his intense gage.   
“Yep, just little old 20th century me,” she answered, giving him a little bow, complete with elegant hand gestures. Angel smiled in return, and closed the distance between them so he was standing tall in front of her. Buffy looked up into those soft brown eyes, and tried to put a smile on her face.   
Angel reached to hold her face in his hands, and without thinking twice, leaned down for a soft kiss. Even Heaven didn’t have him, she thought, deepening the kiss. For once, he didn’t seem to mind.   
After a minute, he pulled away slightly, but he must have heard her silent prayer, because he didn’t move far. His thumbs brushed so gently against her cheeks, his eyes searching hers.   
“How did you come back?”  
Inhaling deeply again, Buffy told him about Willow and what the rest of the Scoobies did to…er…for her. “They didn’t want me to be stuck in Hell, so they saved me.” She didn’t notice the way her voice stumbled ever-so-slightly.   
His eyes squinted almost imperceptibly, but she caught the change in his look. He went from happy to see her, to…well…she didn’t know what that look was. But it definitely wasn’t happy.   
“Wish they’d left me done there or something?” she tried to joke, but his face fell a little bit more. His grip tightened, and tilted her head up slightly.   
“That’s not where you were, was it?”   
How could he…SPIKE. I didn’t know they even spoke anymore. “Whatever Spike told you, you know he’s a liar.”  
“You’re right about that, but I haven’t heard from him in years. I know you, Buffy. I’ve been around a long time, and I know you…you’re lying, aren’t you?”   
Tears welled in her eyes, and she fell into his chest, beginning to sob. She felt his arms wrap tightly around her, fingers tangling in hair, and the other hand drawing soothing circles against the warm flesh between her shoulder blades. She wished she could concentrate more on how good it felt to be in his embrace again, instead of how horribly hard her life was right now. The thought gave way to harder sobs, and her body started to shake.   
“Shh, it’s okay. Come here.” He gently gathered her in his arms, walking them a little further off the path and towards privacy. She felt him gracefully lower them both the ground, but was too wrapped up in letting herself feel for the first time since she figured out what happened.   
He let her cry until there was nothing left, just stroking her hair, or kissing the top of her head or forehead. When she finally started to calm, a huge wave of exhaustion overcame her. Unable to really fight it, she kept her eyes closed, wiggling closer to him, and finally feeling like one thing in this life wasn’t reminiscent of the Hell she was now experiencing.   
Buffy wasn’t sure how long she’d been out when he gently woke her, but she knew it was the best she’d slept since, well, since she was dead.   
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to waste our time together sleeping,” she said quietly, guilt lacing her small voice.   
“Hey,” Angel responded, moving a hand under her chin to tilt her face towards his, “I’ve missed sleeping with you.” He smiled, and she returned an actual, natural smile back.   
She asked him to tell her all about her life with Cordelia and Wesley, and his new “office.” She asked questions now and then, honestly interested, and completely fine with the distraction that included her remaining in his arms, her hands rested against his strong chest.   
Her eyebrows shot up as he winded down the tale about Lorne’s home dimension, and began to describe the newest member of Angel Investigations, Fred.   
“Wow, and I thought how we ended up with Dawn in the gang was insane.”  
She watched a smile brighten his beautiful face, swearing to herself to commit the sight to memory for her darker days. The smile left quickly though, as his eyes lifted towards the sky.   
“Time to go, huh?”  
He silently nodded, regret clear on his features, but he didn’t let her go, not quite yet. “I don’t want to upset you, but I’m sorry that this happened to you, like this. I’m glad you’re back to walking the same dimension as I am, but I can’t imagine how much it must hurt you to be doing so.”  
Tears started to well in her eyes again, but he continued anyway. “But I know that if anyone will come back from that, it would be you. You’re strong Buffy, I know you’ll be okay.”  
She gave him a half-smile, forever grateful for his words. “Thank you, Angel. You have no idea what that means to me,” she paused, willing her courage to say the next five words, “I love you so much,” her voice catching as she spoke her truth.   
“I will always love you, Buffy. For the rest of my life, however long that is.”  
She leaned in, lips capturing his. She felt him squeeze her closer, and this time, he deepened the kiss. Breaking apart after a couple minutes of what felt like fireworks, his strong arms released her, and she took her cue to stand. Reaching her hand out to his, she smiled when he accepted the gesture, knowing he didn’t need help getting up. He squeezed her hand, and then let go, turning away from her. He started to walk away, but she stood rooted to the spot, watching him. He didn’t turn to face her, but she heard him call out from about 15 feet away, “Are you still my girl?”  
“Always.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm better at writing from the male perspective for some reason, but I hope you liked it regardless!

**Author's Note:**

> I'm late to the BtVS/Angel train, but damn, did I fall hard. I couldn't get this out of my head, so since I've written fanfic before, I went to town...but I've never had the guts to post any. I couldn't decide who's POV I wanted to write from, so I did both. I hope you enjoyed it!


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